[Sing for your health!] Popular songs among seniors. Also recommended for recreational activities.

Always keep your dreamsHashi Yukio / Yoshinaga Sayuri

Yukio Hashi & Sayuri Yoshinaga / Itsudemo Yume o (Always Dream)

Because it’s used as an insert song in NHK’s morning drama series “Amachan,” in SoftBank commercials, and in various other contexts, it hardly feels like an old tune.

Of course, for older listeners it’s famous as a duet by Yukio Hashi and Sayuri Yoshinaga.

It even won the Japan Record Award, was performed on the Red and White Song Battle, and inspired a film—what we’d now call a mega-viral hit! Just hearing the intro will bring back fond memories of days gone by.

It’s also a great choice for karaoke with someone special!

365 Steps MarchSuizenji Kiyoko

365 Steps March

It is one of Kiyoko Suizenji’s signature songs.

It also drew attention as a case where Kiyoko Suizenji, known for her work as an enka singer, performed a kayōkyoku-style song.

As the title suggests, the piece evokes a march, conveying a positive feeling of moving forward.

It depicts steadily advancing toward the future, and simply listening to it brings a sense of joy.

The lively rhythm of the march is a major highlight, likely creating a fun, immersive atmosphere that draws in everyone present.

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kappamaki

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It’s okayHikawa Kiyoshi

Kiyoshi Hikawa / Daijoubu [Official]

Life brings various hardships and joys, and Kiyoshi Hikawa delivers a warm, gentle song that embraces them all.

Released in 2019, this work expresses the sadness and feelings of love that everyone experiences through his beautiful vocals.

Like the moon setting and the sun rising, its hopeful message—that tomorrow will surely come—resonates in the heart.

Also included on the album “Shin Enka Meikyoku Collection 9,” this piece is perfect for singing along at recreational gatherings.

Its friendly, singable melody and uplifting lyrics are part of its charm.

Hanjirō of the Hakone Eight RiHikawa Kiyoshi

Kiyoshi Hikawa / Hanzirō of Hakone Hachiri [Official]

This work fully conveys the appeal of a traditional traveling-swordsman enka.

Its lyrics delicately depict the loneliness, melancholy, and inner conflict of a drifter, and when combined with Kiyoshi Hikawa’s emotionally rich vocals, you can’t help but be drawn in.

The lone-wolf protagonist, sword in hand, is moved by the warmth of the people he meets in post towns and by his feelings for his mother—truly touching.

Released in February 2000, it became the first debut song in history to win the Grand Prize at the 33rd Japan Lyricist Awards.

It was also used in Taisho Pharmaceutical’s Tiovita Drink commercial.

This piece is recommended for older listeners who love enka.

It’s even more enjoyable when everyone claps along while singing.

signpostFukuyama Masaharu

Masaharu Fukuyama – Michishirube (Fukuyama ☆ Great Summer Enterprise Festival 2015, Inasayama)

The song I’d like you to sing while reflecting on the life your father has walked is Masaharu Fukuyama’s “Michi Shirube” (Signpost).

Released in 2009 as the B-side to the single “Keshin,” this song was written by Fukuyama with his grandmother in mind.

Just like Fukuyama’s grandmother, perhaps your elderly father also worked hard for his family and showed you the path you should take.

Think of your father’s hardships, hold the feelings he gave you close to your heart, and try singing it on Father’s Day.

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SAKI

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Shopping BoogieKasaogi Shizuko

Shizuko Kasagi – Shopping Boogie (1950)

Boogie is a music genre loved by many people in Japan as well.

The woman hailed as its queen was Shizuko Kasagi.

One of her signature songs, “Kaimono Boogie” (Shopping Boogie), is also famous.

It’s a track that sings about a shopping trip in the Osaka dialect.

The boogie hallmark of repeating the same phrases is used to great effect, conjuring up the bustle of the market and the lively, buzzing scene.

In particular, that impactful section is unforgettable once you hear it.

This is a song that’s sure to get everyone excited singing along.

Perfect for warming up your body, too.

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yamamoto

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Because the moon is so very blueSugawara Totoko

Highest Sound Quality! ~ Because the Moon Is So Very Blue (Sung by: Totoko Sugawara)

Totoko Sugawara, known for her distinctive, wistful vibrato, was called the Queen of Elegy and is also famous as the very first singer to perform on NHK’s Kouhaku Uta Gassen, which everyone knows.

She moved to Tokyo at the age of nine for an audition, where her talent blossomed, and together with her father, the composer Akira Mutsu, she released numerous masterpieces.

Her signature song, “Tsuki ga Tottemo Aoi Kara” (Because the Moon Is So Very Blue), became a million-selling hit in an era when the music market was much smaller than it is today, making her a household name across Japan.

For many seniors, it’s a song right at the heart of their youthful days, so it could be a great choice for recreational activities or background music in senior care facilities.

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kojifumi

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